Meet Sue Hendriks, Foundation Principal of the new Scenic Shores State School in Redland Bay

While the bells won't ring until January 2024 at the new Scenic Shores State School in Redland Bay, Foundation Principal Sue Hendriks is already busy laying the foundations for an inclusive school community.

Sue’s passion for quality education runs deep. Beginning her teaching journey in 1989, Sue has taught all over Queensland, with her career taking her from the Torres Strait to Mount Isa, the Gold Coast, the Darling Downs Southwest region.

Despite her varied experience, her role at the new Scenic Shores State School in Redland Bay will be a first for Sue. As the Foundation Principal, she is responsible for setting the tone of the school from the very get go, ensuring its success for generations to come.

“Not many principals have this opportunity and it's just a great project to be involved in, you're starting from the ground up,” Sue said. “It's a wonderful opportunity and I feel very blessed to be a part of it.”

The $64 million school, currently under construction on the corner of Serpentine Creek and Scenic Road, will be home to several state-of-the-art facilities, including a STEM room, two music rooms, a multi-purpose hall with a basketball court, scoreboards and shot clocks, and a stage for drama presentations.

The school has also been designed with accessibility in mind, with wheelchair access available throughout the entire school.

Keeping the growth of the Redlands Coast in mind, Sue said the Queensland Department of Education has designed the school to eventually allow 1,000+ enrolled students.

“We are not sure how many students will be coming on day one, but the first stage of building will cater for 638 students,” Sue said.

“After Stage 2 is complete, the school will cater for 1,234 students.”

Sue has been at the helm of several discussions and community meetings to establish the new school’s vision and core values. After extensive consultation, Sue has established three key values for the emerging school cohort.

“Firstly, we should always be learning,” she said. “That's what makes life fun, so I want to instill that in our school. The second one is to be kind. That's one of my life mottos. I believe if I have prep students coming in January 2024 and by the time they finish year six, they will be empathetic, kind, helpful people in the community. The third and final value that I have is that I believe schooling should be fun.  We're dealing with kids here and they're going through their childhood, so they should be having a ball at school.”

While Sue is not a Redland Bay local, she has thoroughly enjoyed getting to meet prospective students and their families while enjoying the best that the coastal lifestyle has on offer.

“As a school, we're really looking forward to watching the growth of this area, see new families come and be a part of our school and we're looking forward to the future,” Sue said.

Interested in sending your child to the new Scenic Shores State School in Redland Bay? To express your interest in Prep to Year 6 2024 enrolments, click here.

If you have any questions regarding the new school, please reach out to the school’s Facebook page.